personal statement

[psych2006]

hi ,
i have a question regarding P.S......my mom passed away due to suicide secondary to depression.This was a life changing experience for me and is the main reason i want to go into psychiatry.should i admit/mention this in my P.S or will it make a negative impression?
any input highly appreciated!

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[crazydoc77]

hi!
im also applying, so I cant tell you what works yet. But Ill tell you what I think, maybe it will help.
Now the advice I got about my own mental illness: dont mention it. I was told programs will deny me interviews.
However, in your case, I think it is different. It is something about someone in your family. I dont see why they would in any way think this translates into you being a less reliable resident (which is the reason someone like me needs to be quiet about being manic depressive). I do think, however, that you should not make it the focus of your statement. In other words, mention other things, all of who you are. Most of us are a mix of things, and even if this is a key reason you are becoming a shrink, I am sure there are other things that draw you to the profession. Mention these and it will show that you have given it thought and you h ave a deep personal understanding of the difficulties faced by those with mental illness and the effects the illnesses have on families, but also have a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be a shrink, what psychiatry is today, how you will shape your career, etc. And back that up with your activities, stuff, research, whatever you have done in school.
The other thing I suggest is to make sure you have someone read your statement. Not a zillion people, but I had two docs read mine. One is a close friend and mentor, not a shrink. The other is my advisor, shrink and part of our residency selection committee (in fact he is the one who told me to take the personal stuff out). Hopefully you have someone who can give you objective advice. They will be able to tell you if the way you have introduced your issues works with the essay.

I am sorry for your loss, deeply sorry. I am glad you are going into psychiatry and I am sure that experience will make you a more empathetic and complex doctor.

Best of luck,
crazydoc77

hi ,
i have a question regarding P.S......my mom passed away due to suicide secondary to depression.This was a life changing experience for me and is the main reason i want to go into psychiatry.should i admit/mention this in my P.S or will it make a negative impression?
any input highly appreciated!

 

[Anasazi23]

That's a tough one. Hmmm....

Although I hate to say it, some programs may see you at increased risk secondary to genetic loading. In other words, a big negative.

If you feel compelled to mention it, phrase it like, "The very personal and consequential impact of mental illness on a person very dear to me has helped codify my dedication and stalwartness to this growing and much-needed profession." Or some such thing. If they bring it up in the intervew, then I'd think about divulging more. This way, you're letting them know that you understand the impact mental illness has on peoples' lives, yet are distanced enough to be able to cope effectively and drive your motivation to become a good psychiatrist.

Good luck.

 

[atsai3]

hi ,
i have a question regarding P.S......my mom passed away due to suicide secondary to depression.This was a life changing experience for me and is the main reason i want to go into psychiatry.should i admit/mention this in my P.S or will it make a negative impression?
any input highly appreciated!

Hate to add my $0.02 to the list of naysayers, but I would say, "Just do the safe thing and write about something else." As a previous poster mentioned, if you really feel compelled to bring it up, then save it for an interview -- an interview in which you feel like you've got good rapport with your interviewer.

That said, it's actually not uncommon for psychiatry residents to do therapy sessions with supervisors from their own program. Tanya Luhrmann wrote quite extensively about this in her book, Of 2 Minds: The Growing Disorder in American Psychiatry (see especially pp.104 onward):

"It is often said that to learn psychotherapy, you must not only do psychotherapy but be in psychotherapy, and most young therapists who are interested in psychotherapy present themselves for psychotherapy at some point in their residency. When they do, and whey become involved with the therapy, they rapidly see how fragile, dependent, and needy patients can be with their therapist..."​

 

[tomato]

Program Directors at 12 out of 12 programs where I interviewed asked me about my parents, what they did, where they came from, how they influenced me, etc. You should expect that interviewers will want to know about your family.

It seems to me that you'll be setting yourself up for some awkward moments in the interview to neglect mentioning it. Good luck, it will be a tricky PS to write, but if worked properly it could be truly outstanding.

 

[psych2006]

thanks very much crazydoc77,anasazi23,atsai3 and tomato for honest and insightful replies.nice to know that people care....thank u
I think i will not make it the focus of my P.S but will mention it....that way Iam hoping that it dosent draw any negative attention but at the same time,I will not be put in an awkward situation at the interview???

 

[Anasazi23]

That's certainly fine, but remember: The interview is not (although sometimes it seems like it) a psychoanalytic session. If you don't feel like mentioning your mother, don't. The interview is about you...and the interview is about getting to know you and just as importantly, you getting to know them.

Reveal as much as you're comfortable with. If you want to simply avoid the entire topic, simply state that your mother "unfortunately died from a serious illness" at a relatively early stage, and that's it.

Best of luck.

 

[psych2006]

thanks anasazi23....will take ur suggestion

 

[treynolds]

Hello out there:

Brand new to this site - pretty cool that there are a lot of people out there willing to talk to each other and help us through this residency application process. Kudos to all of you for being so kind.

I am currently attempting to put together my application and am having some trouble with my personal statement. I am trying to write something from my soul, instead of the "I want to go into psychiatry because..." essay. Unfortunately, I am finding that my statement is way too long.

2 questions:

1) Anybody have a good idea of what is an acceptable word count?
2) Is it a bad idea to write something a little more abstract for my statement?

I will likely be using the same (or a variation on the theme) essay for peds residency applications as well.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Tom

 

[treynolds]

hi ,
i have a question regarding P.S......my mom passed away due to suicide secondary to depression.This was a life changing experience for me and is the main reason i want to go into psychiatry.should i admit/mention this in my P.S or will it make a negative impression?
any input highly appreciated!

I am in a somewhat similar boat as you are in terms of the topic of my personal statement. Personally, I feel that writing is an extremely important part of medicine and if you feel that your best writing will come from something that is deep inside you, I say go for it.

But then again, I am just another MSIV in the same situation as you. You know what they say about "free advice."

 

[felicity]

Hey guys,
I was told by my Dean not to go over 650 words under any circumstances. Im not sure how many ERAS lets you put in there, but I believe they stop reading if it is too long. I think 650 is a good number, it amounts to 5 or so paragraphs I think.

I think having an abstract or interesting intro is okay, but you should still address the major issues in your statement. Basically, why you want to be a psychiatrist and how what you have done has shaped that. My intro was pretty "artsy" I was told, and I was told it worked fine. Write what you know, write who you are. Just be sure to have someone read it, preferably your advisor or someone in psych who reads essays. They can give you valuable feedback and if they feel it is "too abstract" then they will let you know. I say go for it, then turn it in for review. Thats the best way to find out if it works okay.
Some schools have sample personal statements, you might want to surf around and see if you find something if that helps you. Best of luck to y'all!
felicity

I am in a somewhat similar boat as you are in terms of the topic of my personal statement. Personally, I feel that writing is an extremely important part of medicine and if you feel that your best writing will come from something that is deep inside you, I say go for it.

But then again, I am just another MSIV in the same situation as you. You know what they say about "free advice."

 

[Anasazi23]

Just keep in mind folks, that many of the cutesy-type personal statements have already been done, and could be seen as a poor attempt at originality, or just plain cheesy. The abstract has been already done, as has the psychiatric evaluation with social history, etc, as well as the extended obituary, book biography, and others.

The key is finding the balance between originality and campiness. I say err on the side of a conservative essay, which should generally be no longer than a page, single spaced. Anything longer likely won't ger read completely, and as such, your important conclusion may be glossed over.